This invention relates to compressors, turbines and heat exchangers of the rotary type wherein a heat exchanger is provided to transfer heat between two streams of the working fluid while said working fluid is within the rotor of the device.
Various types of rotary fluid handling devices exist, and usually the working fluid is either heated or cooled while said working fluid is within the rotor, but said cooling or heating is provided by circulating a separate heating fluid or cooling fluid from external sources into the rotor heat exchangers. One such device is shown in my previous U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,848.
It is an object of this invention to provide a method and apparatus for the transfer of heat into or out of said working fluid during expansion or compression while within the rotor by using another stream of the same working fluid within the rotor as the heat source or heat sink. Thus, for example, heat is transferred from the said working fluid during compression, into another stream of the same working fluid during expansion, thus providing cooling for the fluid stream being compressed, and heating for the fluid stream being expanded; therefore, as is well known, the work of compression for said fluid will be decreased, and work of expansion for said working fluid will be increased, thus resulting in a lower overall work required for the rotor. Similarly, the method can be used, in reverse, for turbines, where heat is taken from the working fluid during expansion, and added during compression. Thus, to provide such cooling and heating for said working fluid, no external heat or cooling source is required, for that part of the process, resulting in a simplified and thus more economical rotor.